Ba Sing Sa Badgermoles
by Hope7
Summary: A collection of unrelated one-shots featuring LOK and ATLA charecters for the Pro-Bending Circuit (forum) contest.
1. Korra swims

**Hi! Here is my first entry for the Pro Bending circuit forum writing challenge! This will be completely unrelated oneshots with tasks and prompts posted on the tops. Here it goes!**

**I don't own LOK**

**Waterbender:** Write about the first time someone went swimming/on vacation.

**2. **(word) ornament

**5.** (dialogue) "Don't blink"

**10.** (quote) "The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have" - Vince Lombardi

Bold words ARE intended.

Korra was three years old, a talented waterbender, and the avatar. There were plenty of words you could use to describe her. Independent, spunky, wild, and kind, being among them. But what you could not describe the girl with the big blue eyes as was a good swimmer.

People in the Fire Nation took their heated pools and hot springs for granted, thought nothing of them. Korra believed that swimming was just another** ornament **on their trees. Another embellishment to their lives. In the South Pole, the lakes were frozen. She fell through thin ice once, but that wasn't the same as swimming, not really. She thought back to that day about a year ago.

It was cold. She remembered that vividly, and even though she was in front of the fire, She felt a chill go over her body. The little bumps on her skin were fun to watch fade, and pop up out of no where. The only part she didn't understand was, why were they named after geese? Maybe because they looked like goose eggs.

Of corse, it was always cold in the water tribe, but today it was particularly cold. the freezing air felt as like it was burning her nose and cheeks. She pulled her coat up higher, staring at the brown fur that circled her hood.

"Korra," Yelled her mother from their doorway of their little house. "Come into the house, it's too cold."

The waterbender pulled her head up and started trudging towards the house. The ground was caked with thick snow, about up to her ankle. So, the little girl didn't notice when the ground seemed to sink, although in truth it was a steep slope. Korra stumbled when she walked into an uncovered circle of ice someone had dug out. Maybe they were going to fish, but changed their minds. Too bad, she thought. She saw a fish poking up to the surface, just under the ice. She stood up quickly. And then everything happened so fast.

Because the next thing that happened was the ground collapsing and swallowing the waterbender whole.

Korra couldn't process anything right now. All she remembered was the sharp crack of the ice, and the pain of the water surrounding her. It seemed as if there was no escape. She opened her eyes, and slammed them closed again. It burned. Korra heard someone in her head, telling her to kick her legs and get to the surface. She followed the directions and kicked.

She just sunk lower. It wasn't working! Korra started to panick. She never knew theat a heart could beat so fast. The avatar kicked again, just as she started to take in water. She inched up, little by little towards the surface. Her lungs were on fire. The girl had never been in so much pain, emotionally or physically. She kicked again. She could almost touch the ice holding her prisoner. The waterbender kicked again.

Korra reached the top, and gasped for air while clinging to a plank someone had throw in when she went under. Some of the Maki boys started moaning when they saw her resurface.

Then she realized that her eyes were too bright. She could see things she never noticed before, like the pattern of every little crystal on the ground. Korra could smell the fresh-caught fish her father was frying-_ six miles away._ She could hear the individual whispers of everyone in the crowd of people about 30 feet away.

_"Is she dead?"_

_"Go get her dad."_

_"I didn't like her anyway."_

This ended quickly when she heard her name being called.

"Korra!" Her mother practically dragged her inside. "What happened?" She asked after wrapping her in a blanket and handing her a warm drink. All Korra could manage to say was,

** "Don't blink.** Never blink under there." A faint smile appeared on her mother's lips.

"Does it sting?" Her mother asked softly. Korra nodded.

"Sokka was right, you are resourceful." She chuckled. "Always looking for attention. And that makes you a great waterbender. Just like that old saying, do you know that one?"

"No." Korra said, slurping her drink.

**"The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have"**

You had some thin ice, and you definitely used it to your benefit."

"That's me." Korra said.

The memory stopped here.

Well, maybe it was swimming. But if that was swimming, Korra didn't like it. Who cared about swimming. It burned your eyes, and you couldn't hear very well. It was like you were trapped. And no one was going to trap her ever again. Nothing was ever going to control her, or force her under.


	2. Equal Chance

**Ok, round two. Let's get to it.**

**Task:**

**Waterbender-No Avatar! AU**

**Prompts-**

**#1 lion(word)**

**#8 Fir Lord Ozai (character)**

**Word count 875**

**I don't own ATLA.**

Aang couldn't remember a time when a certain two things weren't on his mind. One was Katara. The other one was Fire lord Ozai. He was a merciless monster, greedy for control. Powerful. The man had an entire army backing him up. So did the airbender.

Ozai had his hordes of fire bending machines, And Aang had a cache of swampbenders, earth kingdom soldiers, and water tribe warriors.

So it was fair. They were evenly matched, with their teams.

But not really. It was impossible to tell who has the upper hand. Once he had asked Katara's brother. He come up with big charts full of pros and cons for both sides. For example, Ozai had an elite army of well trained firebenders. Aang had many different styles of fighting. Ozai happened to be extremely well funded and well known. No one knew that Aang existed. (How that counted as an advantage, Aang was yet to see.

He guessed that the warrior-diversity thing was good. They could be unexpected and mysterious. That definently could not be said about Ozai's army. They stomped over innocent towns using the same style every single time. They had no secrets.

Aang had plenty. One he wished he could have, (but didn't) was more. More Soilders, more tanks, more skills. Because, alas, Aang could only control air. Katara could only control water. Sokka could only control swords. It seemed as if every person had only one thing that separated them from everybody else. No more, no less, no exceptions.

Darn.

In the mean time Aang could sit here in the blistering heat and contemplate his fate. It was no wonder they called it, in the MEAN time. Time was not on his side right now. Because the group was a terribly short three hours away from the fire nation. And on the doorstep of the palace, his doom/destruction/death or any other terrible scary words starting with d would await him. D was a scary letter. No questions about that either.

"Appa!" Aang yelled. The rare bison was flying too high. The airships were starting to fade from sight. "Down!" He commanded. The animal reluctantly obeyed. Aang exhaled, and waved to Suki and Katara, who were peering into the clouds looking for him. They plastered sad smiles on their faces.

An hour later they landed. But only to refuel. Appa needed water, ships needed gas, and subs needed to be inspected for damage.

"Aang! You can't disappear like that!" Sokka yelled. He had not been pleased when he learned that the actual people would not be refueling at this certain stop. "I'm sure you were doing some very important flying up there, and I'm sure you didn't consider the possibility that we thought you'd ran off again, and..." Sokka rambled on. Since he didn't have very much meat in his system, the sarcasm dripping from his mouth was the only thing binding him to borderline sanity. He finished strong with "WE NEED. A PLAN!"

"I was sure you were going to say meat." Aang grinned.

"THAT, TOO!" He yelled.

Katara walked over with the earth bender on the team. Toph and I already figured that out while-"

"While Aang was practicing his magic flying tricks?!" Sokka cut her off.

"No, you carnivorous meatball. While we were on the airship. Which just happened to be while YOU were smiling at your, for lack of a better word, muscles. Toph said in the same bored tone she used for everything.

"MEATBALL?!" Sokka screamed. Aang was sure smoke was going to start bursting out of his ears any second now.

"Woah, guys." Aang said in between the two.

"Not your problem, twinkle toes." Toph said, effortlessly catapulting him a few hundred yards away, followed by another rock he had to scramble out of the way to avoid.

"Guys, we have to get along." Katara said.

"Fine." Sokka huffed, sulking away from the earth bender.

"You don't tell ME what to do, sugar queen!" Toph pounded into the woods.

"Well, she's gone." Sokka said. "Let's make that plan!"

It took a while, but finally the team was convinced to continue without her. It was no use going after her, she was a lion towards anyone that tried to control her.

"So, we'll attack here and fan out to here, here, annnnnnddd, here." Sokka said, peering down at the map.

"Fine." Katara agreed mindlessly looking longingly into the woods.

"It's ok. She might come. For now we have to move." Aang said placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Schedule, people!" Sokka said pointing at his wrist frantically.

They arrived at the palace two hours later.

"C'mon, guys. We have an equal chance in this." Aang said.

"Hi, guys." Come a voice from behind them. They spun around to find a group of people. Toph, in the middle. "Let's go." She said motioning towards the palace.

"I knew you'd come back!" Katara said.

"You're lying."

"Maybe."


	3. All these years gone by

Ok, here we go!

Waterbender- Write about your opt celebrating their anniversary

Hard #2 "Keep your face always toward the sunshine, and the shadows will fall behind you." Walt Whitman.

easy #1 terrific (word)

Season-Fall

Word count: 1,223

(I incorporated water into it with the lake because my opt aren't (isn't?) waterbenders. But it's plot relevant so we should be good.)

Kai was late. Jinora was worried. Nima was fussing softly in her chair beside Jinora on the bench. Jinora glanced over at her daughter, to find that a few leaves had fallen over her face. She plucked them off, and Nima was content once again. She wasn't really a fussy baby, as long as she was comfortable and entertained the baby was quite well behaved. Jinora turned again to peer off into the distance. But even a master airbender couldn't see through trees. It was a beautiful day. A crisp, blue sky with a nice breeze blowing softly, ruffling her hair. The leaves were starting to fall. Dozens of trees that were clustered together yielded a steady harvest of colored leaves. Mostly orange, and red, but Jinora noticed a handful of yellow or purple.

She closed her eyes and leaned back so she could feel the sun on her face. Jinora had a feeling come over her, that someone was watching her. She opened her eyes. And grinning back down at her was the face she had loved for years: a brownish skin with a bundle of floppy brown hair.

"Kai." She smiled.

"About time!" Kai joked, coming over to sit on the other side of Nima.

Jinora had to muster up all the self control she had not to laugh. "So, six years." She said softly.

"I know. Can't you believe it? It seems like I just got on that airship with you yesterday." Kai answered. He studied his wife for a moment. "You haven't changed a bit." He concluded.

"Can't really say the same about you." Jinora smiled.

"Hey!"

"In a good way." Jinora promised.

"Fine. I will take that."

They sat in silence for a moment, admiring the lake in front of them. No fishing docks, no boats, no nothing. Peaceful and quiet.

"Nope. Not happening Kai." Jinora said. She had caught a glimpse of a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"C'mon Jinora. We have a whole lake all to ourselves. Plus, Nima's never been swimming." Kai begged.

"Fine. Because it's our anniversary." Jinora said, picking the little girl out of her seat.

"I've got her." He said quickly, holing out his arms to Nima. She yawned. The couple headed down the small hill carefully and submerged themselves in the cool water.

"Remember six years ago, on our wedding day, and you were so angry because the florist ditched us at the last second?" Kai said

"I was not angry!" Jinora denied. "Just disappointed."

"Yep. And I bet you loved the bouquets of poison ivy and onion grass your siblings made." Kai quipped.

"As a matter of fact, I did. It was very memorable." Jinora countered.

"And remember fall, five years ago, on national sky bison awareness day?" Kai asked.

"You mean, when we had that drawing contest and I beat the pants off you?" Jinora asked innocently.

"That contest was a draw, and you knew it!" Kai demanded.

"Why were there feet coming out of his head?"

"Those were horns!"

"Why was the only thing not on his head the arrow?"

"That was the head!" He stated.

"I still won."

Kai pretended to look cross. "Oh year, what about four years ago and we wanted to see who could who could give Rohan the best day after his lechee fruit tree died?"

"You made him cry, Kai."

"Pretty sure those were tears of joy, Jin."

"He's afraid of clowns and you took him to the circus."

"I think your dad is still mad about that." Kai said sheepishly.

"Let's forget about that for now."

"For now." Jinora agreed. "But we're talking about that later."'

Nima started to stir. Kai dipped her in the water and then threw her in the air. He caught her, and repositioned her, this time on top of his shoulders.

"And then three years ago." Kai started.

"Ohhhhh, yes." Jinora said. "The wonderful days of penguin sledding."

"How'd you know that's what I was going to say!?" Kai exclaimed.

"I know you all too well Kai." Jinora smiled. "When we went on vacation to the South Pole and you discovered your slightly irrational love for penguin sledding."

"What's so irrational about riding on the back of a cold climate animal down a snowy hill?" Kai questioned.

"Seven hours straight Kai. That's what's irrational."

"Just a little."

"Just a little."

"But you gotta admit, it was terrific."

"Fine." Jinora agreed. "My turn now."

Kai nodded. "Yeah, go on."

"Two years ago. Seven months before Nima was due. The camping trip."

"We got their eventually!" Kai defended.

"Kai. The map was upside down for three hours until you finally caved and let me look."

"I didn't cave. I decided to bring in professional...consultment."

"Sure."

"Aren't you the one always saying that one quote about shadows and the sun?" Kai asked.

"'Always face the sunshine-the shadows will all fall behind you.' But what does that have to do with anything?" Jinora questioned.

"You are never going to let me win. Are you." Kai pouted.

"Nope."

A a sudden chill came over the lake. The tide started splashing against Nima's feet. She started to cry.

"Shhhh, it's okay sweetie. Kai, let's go back to the bench." She said, motioning over to the bench up the hill.

Kai nodded his head. They started trudging uphill, fighting the current. The water kept rising higher and higher until it was up to Jinora's chin.

"Faster!" Kai yelled. Jinora tried to bend the air so it would push the water away to create a path, but it was too strong. They couldn't do anything but keep their eye on the prize. The dry grass. Nima was shrieking. Kai thrust Nima into Jinora's arms and pushed them a few inches closer to shore. Then he planted himself firmly best he could in the roaring water and put all of his strength in a burst of air that sent his family tumbling towards shore. Jinora barley managed to catch a glimpse of Kai being swallowed by the waves.

"Kai!" She screamed. All the while the scene of his falling off the cliff to save her family. But he wasn't coming back. No one could outlast those unforgiving waves.

Jinora sat on the bench feeling numb. Everything inside her was tearing into tiny pieces. She stood up too go home. and felt a hand on her shoulder. A wet one. She spun around to face a soaking and shivering Kai.

"It takes more than that to get rid of me." He grinned.

"Last year was Nima's birthday." Jinora trembled.

"When you refused to buy a pìnata because it was too violent?" He asked.

Jinora just smiled.

"I love you this year. And I have in all those years gone by."

"Me too, Jin. Me too."


	4. How could you

**K guys, I don't have much time so I'm gonna get right to it.**

**Waterbender: Write about a LOK character that needs to be rescued by a ATLA character.**

**Easy-"How could you?"**

**Hard-Kuvira**

**Dont own LoK, do own the SRP**

**Word Count- 848**

Kuvira's POV

He didn't know anything. He was just a fat old man. A dead fat old man.

I reminded myself. Stubborn. That's all. Stubborn. And wrong. He's for the exact same thing as me. He wanted to be united. So do I. If he hates me, well, I'm not forcing him to stick around. His happiness is not my problem. I can't go down with him. No. Wait.I corrected myself automatically. I won't go down with him.

I graoned. Here he was again.

"You look stressed. Perhaps, you could put on some tea, and we will discuss this rationally.

"I don't drink tea!" I yelled for maybe the sixth time today. It felt good. I screamed again.

"You aren't my problem! "Not my fault my birth mother killed you! Now your just this clingy leech.! It's like you don't want the Earth Kingdom to be together!" Yes. Shock. Big bad Dragon of the West was offed by a pregnant rebel. I'd be he would have lived, too. If he didn't stop to help was weak. He surrendered. He gave up. And he died. It's not gonna rub off on me, that's for sure.

I am now faced with four options. I could keep yelling at what seems to be air, humor him, ignore him, or try and banish him to the spirit forest of darkness.

I settle on option three.

"Kausha, get in here!" A tall man slides in the doorway and respectfully asks,

"How may I be of assistance?"

"I need you to help me go over these plans."

We reviewed the plans for a while, Iroh watching over my shoulder. I started to get angry. And angrier. And angrier.

Who cared if Korra had won? Who cared that my mother was a murderer? Who cared that I had a peace treaty with every where in the world? I DONT CARE!

i listened as he pointed out inconsistencies, and treaties and agreements that would be snapped in half. I left promptly. And, of corse, he followed.

"Kuvira." He said in his soft voice.

"I'm truly very sorry. But this will not work. If you go through with it, many, so many people, including you, will lose their lives. I cannot let you."

" And just why not?" I asked sarcastically.

"I made a promise, to your mother."

"What! You mean, you can leave?" I yelled at him. I has wasted time and energy. Days and years. While he could go anytime he pleased.

"Of course." He said in a neutral tone. Then he chuckled. "It disappoints me that you do not know this long ago. I have an life, you know that."

"More like afterlife." I grumbled.

"How could you! You ruined my life!"

"Maybe." He agreed. "But now I am here to save it." And everything went dark.

I woke up later. Don't ask me how much later, because I couldn't begin to tel you.

"What year is it?" I asked groggily.

"Same as when you left" he said cheerlily, putting on a pot of tea.

"What day?" I asked, starting to wake up.

"Same." He said in the same cheerful tone.

"Why did you bring me here! I will have you..." I searched my brain for anything. Death wouldn't work.

"Your teapot smashed!" I finished strongly.

"Oh, no. You wouldn't do that." Iroh said. "Right now you are being rescued. You have mysteriously dissapeard. Your body is well hidden, I assure you."

"My body! Am I..." I gasped. It couldn't be. I wasn't dead. I couldn't be dead.

"No. You are quite alive. And if you do well in the SRP, then your sprit will be returned to your body, no worse for wear.

"SDR?" I asked. My head was spinning. Slimy Dalmatian...run? Stupid dirty robe?

"SRP. Short for the Spirit rehabilitation program. Here, troubled souls come, to us, and we help them find their way."

This guy was nuts. Fine, I decided. I will play along.

I smiled sweetly. "That sounds great!" Not.

"Good! He said. Then follow me.

he led me to the top of a hill, and I saw...a, floating platform? It was covered with different spirits. All kinds of colors and shapes.

But every inch was covered.

"Darn." I said, trying to look disappointed. "No room. Guess you'll just have to send me back my body now."

He laughed."No, silly. You just haven't been checked in."

He waved his hand in the air like some kind of lunatic. I rolled my eyes. And then I couldn't believe them. A new section just poofed onto the building.

"Let's go." He said, taking my wrist and heading up.


	5. Unlikely pair

**Waterbender: One member of your pairing takes care of the other while they are sick.**

**Prompts-**

**Purple(color)**

**Omashu(place)**

**Word count- 814**

**Pairing- Azula/ Combustion man**

**dont own charectors.**

They were in Omashu, the city of two lovers. And while the scenery outside was beatiful, the sights exiting, and the potential activities fun, Azula and Combustion man were inside their tiny vacation home. The former heir to the throne wore a patchwork dress, and was lugging a bucket of water inside.

"You...uh!...stupid!...ugh!...bucket!" Azula yelled, trying to make it inside with some of the water. She threw open the door and yelled,

"Hey! I got the water!"

Through the doorway limped a hunched over figure, holding a handkerchief.

"Thanks Azula." He rasped. "But I'm fine. Let's go somewhere! See something! We are in Omoshu for goodness sake." He would have said more, but was interrupted by a fit of coughing.

"And have you about spreading that disease?" Azula said sharply. "I should say not."

This made the man smile.

"Azula, it's a cold. C O L D. Maybe you've heard of it?""

"Get in bed. You need soup."

He followed this command willingly, crawling into the bed shoved into a corner and pulling the covers up to his neck.

"I still don't see why we chose purple. It doesn't go with anything."

Azula complained.

"What kind of soup?" He asked changing the subject.

"Turtleduck and lechee fruit." She said, her voice softening as she frowned over a pot she was stirring.

"C'mon, Azula. You don't like that kind anyway. Get in bed. Plenty of room." He said, patting the spot next to him and smiling.

"Fine." She said, gladly leaving the designated kitchen area.

Azula gently lifted herself into the bed, careful not to wrinkle her dress.

"You know, that's pointless. Your dress is not going to be perfect by the time we get out of bed." He hinted.

"You have never been, are, or going to be smooth." Azula said rolling her eyes. "And my dress will be just fine thank you very much." She added after a moment.

"At least take your hair down. You look beautiful that way."

"Now that I'll do." Azula said, taking out her tight ponytail and letting her hair fall all around her shoulders. She shook her head hard and the rest came down.

"Thank you, sweetie." He said.

But no sooner had she put her head on the pillow did she jump back up.

"The tea!" She exclaimed, and ran to take the pot off the burner.

"Hey, leave it. Come back to bed!" Came a coughing and raspy voice from the other side of the cabin. Ignoring him, Azula fetched the cough drops from a high cabinet and but several on a purple tray along with a cup of tea with plenty of honey.

She pulled her hair behind her head and picked up the tray.

The former princess delivered the tray to her husband and went back into the kithcen. The soup was too chunky. After a few corrections, she found it to be just right.

"You're the best, Azula." He said, sipping at the soup slowly. Azula replied.

"Don't."

"Sorry. Where do we keep the cough medicine? It really helped."

"I'll get it."

"No, I can get it. Just tell me where they are."

"That's for me to know and for you to find out out." She called over her shoulder.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

"Challenge accepted. This stay in bed order is just no good."

"It's just fine if you want a speedy recovery." She snapped.

"Woah. Calm down honey."

"Don't 'honey' me!" She yelled.

"Gosh, fine."

"Sorry."

"Also accepted."

"Take this soup. It's healthy."

"And it tastes good."

Azula strutted around the kitchen, holding a bowl of the soup. She wore a dress with a purple top, and red bottom with several blue and red checkered patches spread around the dress. Her hair hung over her shoulders, flouncing with every step.

There house was small, one large room and a small bathroom. One corner was the entrance, with a shiny wooden door and several dressers and tables. One corner contained all of their kitchen supplies, an oven twitch electric burners and a small refrigerator. A few cabinets were hung scattered of the walls. The rest of the house was dedicated to bed and living.

"Here, take this. I'm cold." She said suddenly, getting in bed.

He sipped the soup. "I think I feel better already."

"Because of the soup?" Azula questioned.

"No, I think it's something else." He said, directing a warm smile at his wife.

She smiled back.


End file.
